Friday, 18 October 2024 11:00am – 12:00pm

This seminar will be delivered in Lecture Theatre 3

Speaker: Dave Mills

Host: Prof. Cameron Kepert

Title: Towards Linear Lanthanide Single-Molecule Magnets

Abstract
The complexity and richness of synthetic f-element chemistry has attracted increasing attention in recent years. This interest is stimulated jointly by scientific curiosity of a relatively unexplored field and the myriad applications that these elements have found in diverse areas such as organic synthesis, materials science and nuclear fuel cycles.1 Our research focuses on stabilising lanthanide (Ln) and actinide (An) complexes with unusual coordination geometries and/or oxidation states, which can provide enhanced reactivity and unique physical properties, including interesting single-molecule magnet (SMM) behaviour in highly axial Ln complexes. We mainly use bulky bis(silyl)amides and cyclopentadienyls as supporting ligands to stabilise these unusual f-element motifs. Here we will present some recent highlights, such as rare formally two coordinate Ln complexes (1),2 and isolated Ln(III) metallocenium cations (2), which provided record magnetic hysteresis temperatures for the dysprosium analogue 2-Dy in 2017 and new design criteria for high-performance SMMs.3

(1)      (2)

References:

1. The Lanthanides and Actinides, Ed. S. T. Liddle, D. P. Mills, L. S. Natrajan, World Scientific Publishing Europe Ltd, Singapore, 2022.
2. See for example: (a) H. M. Nicholas, M. Vonci, C. A. P. Goodwin, S.-W. Loo, S. R. Murphy, D. Cassim, R. E. P. Winpenny, E. J. L. McInnes, N. F. Chilton, D. P. Mills, Chem. Sci., 2019, 10, 10493; (b) J. Emerson-King, G. K. Gransbury, G. F. S. Whitehead, I. J. Vitorica-Yrezabal, M. Rouzières, R. Clérac, N. F. Chilton, D. P. Mills, Am. Chem. Soc., 2024, 146, 3331.
3. See for example: (a) C. A. P. Goodwin, F. Ortu, D. Reta, N. F. Chilton, D. P. Mills, Nature, 2017, 548, 439; (b) C. A. P. Goodwin, D. Reta, F. Ortu, N. F. Chilton, D. P. Mills, Am. Chem. Soc., 2017, 139, 18714; (c) P. Evans, D. Reta, G. F. S. Whitehead, N. F. Chilton, D. P. Mills, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2019, 141, 19935; (d) G. K. Gransbury, S. C. Corner, J. G. C. Kragskow, P. Evans, H. M. Yeung, G. F. S. Whitehead, I. J. Vitorica-Yrezabal, N. F. Chilton, D. P. Mills, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2023, 145, 22814.

Bio
David “El Daverino” Mills hails from Llanbradach and Caerphilly in the South Wales valleys. Dave used to have many hobbies including watching live bands and playing snooker and table football before chemistry took over.

Dave spends most of his days flitting between his office and the lab, drinking lots of coffee and spinning plates. His major research interests are in organometallic synthesis, especially trying to make things that have no right to exist.

Dave can often be found incessantly quoting lines from films and comedy series and getting exasperated when no one recognises them.

See more at: https://millsgroup.weebly.com/about-dave.html